Trust and multi-agent systems: applying the “diffuse,default model” of trust to experiments involving artificial agents

We argue that the notion of trust, as it figures in an ethical context, can be illuminated by examining research in artificial intelligence on multi-agent systems in which commitment and trust are modeled. We begin with an analysis of a philosophical model of trust based on Richard Holton’s interpretation of P. F. Strawson’s writings on freedom and resentment, and we show why this account of trust is difficult to extend to artificial agents (AAs) as well as to other non-human entities. We then examine Margaret Urban Walker’s notions of “default trust” and “default, diffuse trust” to see how these concepts can inform our analysis of trust in the context of AAs. In the final section, we show how ethicists can improve their understanding of important features in the trust relationship by examining data resulting from a classic experiment involving AAs.     

论Guanxi情境下组织认同对顾客信任企业化的影响

本文从员工管理与顾客管理的整合视角,探讨Guanxi情境下顾客信任企业化的路径,讨论"组织认同"对顾客信任企业化过程的影响。基于社会认知理论,分析组织认同的三个维度在合情的顾客信任、合理的顾客信任的企业化过程中的差异化影响。笔者通过问卷调查,运用偏最小二乘方法对模型进行检验,结果显示组织认同对顾客信任的企业化过程有调节作用,且组织认同的三个维度分别影响了顾客信任的两种企业化过程。这些发现对组织管理者更好地识别和处理组织的信任关系有借鉴意义,为管理者通过提升员工的组织认同感来实现顾客信任企业化提供理论基础。     

"社会信用"缺失弊端和成因分析研究

针对目前市场经济信用状况的现实，阐明社会信用缺失所带来的种种危害，并在此基础上分析了中国社会信用缺失的深层原因，最后给出解决问题的对策和出路。     

Swarm formation for perimeter surveillance in rectangular strips: a distributed model predictive approach

In this paper, a distributed control architecture is presented for addressing the cooperative perimeter surveillance of rectangular areas for multi-agent system whose dynamics is described by double integrator models subject to exogenous bounded disturbances. In particular, a novel methodology to generate proper state trajectories of a swarm of agents is provided and then exploited as references for the underlying model predictive controllers bank. Specifically, the swarm is first driven along the perimeter of a rectangular strip and next imposed to enter a given containment region while remaining simultaneously outside a forbidden region around a prescribed target. Steady-state conditions are analyzed and sufficient conditions derived in terms of the control law parameters. Simulation results put in light the main properties of the control architecture that is designed to adequately switch between two different distributed algorithms in order to guarantee constraints satisfaction within the capturing region despite any disturbance realization.     

Calculating trust in domain analysis: Theoretical trust model

In recent decades, more information has become increasingly available on the Web. Every user can actively participate in the generation and exchange of information. Investigating the quality of user-generated content (UGC) has therefore become a necessity and an ever-increasing challenge. In collaborative environments where users collect, share and build a knowledge base, trust is an important factor. If, for example, we as users trust UGC on the Web, this influences our interaction with this content. The aim of our research is to propose a model for the evaluation of trust in UGC. Based on the available research results, we define a model for measuring trust in collaborative environments. Our approach is based on three dimensions: stability, credibility and quality. These three concerns are combined to create a trusted translator. We use a real-world data set of the social annotation platform Genius to calculate the value of our trust in an annotation. Based on this case study, we show which insights can be gained by calculating the trust in such an environment. When information has specific qualities, our approach will enable the user to better determine which information offers the highest level of trust.     

An integrated view of particularized trust in social commerce: An empirical investigation

With the prevalence of social media and social networking, social commerce is becoming increasingly popular in both business and research areas. As in other types of e-commerce context, trust is also indispensable in social commerce. In this study, two types of trust have been discussed. This study represents an initial attempt to provide an integrated view of particularized trust in social commerce, including particularized trust antecedents, trust transfer and trust performance, so as to promote trust formation in social commerce. Using data collected from 614 social commerce users, we demonstrate that trust disposition, quality-assured shared information, familiarity and endorsement by other members are four antecedents of particularized trust. The results also indicate particularized trust can be transferred into system trust, and particularized trust only exerts positive effect on social WOM intention while system trust only exerts positive effect on social shopping intention. Furthermore, we prove perceived similarity can strengthen the relationship between trust disposition and particularized trust as well as the relationship between quality-assured shared information and particularized trust.     

The entanglement of trust and knowledge on the Web

In this paper I use philosophical accounts on the relationship between trust and knowledge in science to apprehend this relationship on the Web. I argue that trust and knowledge are fundamentally entangled in our epistemic practices. Yet despite this fundamental entanglement, we do not trust blindly. Instead we make use of knowledge to rationally place or withdraw trust. We use knowledge about the sources of epistemic content as well as general background knowledge to assess epistemic claims. Hence, although we may have a default to trust, we remain and should remain epistemically vigilant; we look out and need to look out for signs of insincerity and dishonesty in our attempts to know. A fundamental requirement for such vigilance is transparency: in order to critically assess epistemic agents, content and processes, we need to be able to access and address them. On the Web, this request for transparency becomes particularly pressing if (a) trust is placed in unknown human epistemic agents and (b) if it is placed in non-human agents, such as algorithms. I give examples of the entanglement between knowledge and trust on the Web and draw conclusions about the forms of transparency needed in such systems to support epistemically vigilant behaviour, which empowers users to become responsible and accountable knowers.     

社会网络、创新行为、企业信任间的关系研究

 社会网络和信任在理论和实践上被认为对创新具有促进作用，然而鲜见实证验证。本文从企业的层面探讨社会网络、创新、信任三者之间的关系，并给予实证检验。论文首先回顾了社会网络、创新和信任的相关理论，在已有理论基础上提出了三个假设；然后,以2001年世界银行对中国998家制造业企业的调查数据来分析验证上述假设；最后，根据实证分析的结论，结合国内实际情况为企业提出相关建议。     

Effects of various characteristics of social commerce (s-commerce) on consumers’ trust and trust performance

The development of social networking sites (SNSs) has given rise to a new e-commerce paradigm called social commerce (s-commerce). S-commerce is a subset of e-commerce and uses SNSs for social interactions and user contributions to facilitate the online buying and selling of various products and services. Recent years have witnessed the rapid growth of s-commerce in Korea, but this growth has involved a number of transaction-related issues such as no delivery and the delivery of wrong items. In particular, consumers’ trust has become a crucial factor in the success of s-commerce firms, requiring these firms to make more effort to gain this trust. In this regard, this study identifies the key factors in s-commerce [reputation, size, information quality, transaction safety, communication, economic feasibility, and word-of-mouth (WOM) referrals], that is, the characteristics of s-commerce influencing Korean consumers’ trust in s-commerce. In addition, the study assesses the effects of trust on trust performance (purchase intentions and WOM intentions). The results of an empirical analysis based on a sample of 371 s-commerce users indicate that all the characteristics of s-commerce (except for economic feasibility) had significant effects on trust and that trust had significant effects on purchase and WOM intentions. The results have important implications for s-commerce firms wishing to develop a successful business model for providing their customers with trustworthy services.     

The categorical imperative and the ethics of trust

Trust can be understood as a precondition for a well-functioning society or as a way to handle complexities of living in a risk society, but also as a fundamental aspect of human morality. Interactions on the Internet pose some new challenges to issues of trust, especially connected to disembodiedness. Mistrust may be an important obstacle to Internet use, which is problematic as the Internet becomes a significant arena for political, social and commercial activities necessary for full participation in a liberal democracy. The Categorical Imperative lifts up trust as a fundamental component of human ethical virtues – first of all, because deception and coercion, the antitheses of trust, cannot be universalized. Mistrust is, according to Kant, a natural component of human nature, as we are social beings dependent on recognition by others but also prone to deceiving others. Only in true friendships can this tendency be overcome and give room for unconditional trust. Still we can argue that Kant must hold that trustworthy behaviour as well as trust in others is obligatory, as expressions of respect for humanity. The Kantian approach integrates political and ethical aspects of trust, showing that protecting the external activities of citizens is required in order to act morally. This means that security measures, combined with specific regulations are important preconditions for building online trust, providing an environment enabling people to act morally and for trust-based relationships.     

信任在知识中的作用

 作为知识基础的信任,在科学事业中是不可或缺的.本文从社会认识论和语言哲学角度出发,考察信任的可能性基础,并阐述信任对于知识的必要性是建立在语言运用的信任基础之上的实质.     

The evolution of trust in information technology alliances

As strategic alliances become an increasingly important weapon for companies in achieving a competitive advantage, an important subject of investigation has become those factors that contribute to the success of the alliance. Trust between the alliance partners has been proposed to be one of those critical success factors. The high levels of uncertainty and interdependence that characterizes high technology alliances make trust particularly important in these contexts. Very little is known, however, about the process of trust creation or erosion in strategic alliances. This study addresses this shortcoming in cross-sectional trust research by utilizing a longitudinal survey design to examine the antecedents and outcomes of trust formation between strategic alliance partners. We contrast a transaction cost economics view of trust with a social exchange perspective to more fully explore what may influence changes in the level of trust between partners. Results suggest that the development of trust was not a function of the formal incentive systems that transaction cost economists deem necessary to prevent opportunistic behavior. Conversely, factors from social exchange theory – communication, shared values, and relationship equity – provide a more thorough explanation of what contributes to the development of higher levels of organizational trust. Finally, this study provides evidence that as trust increases between partners, the alliance benefits by displaying higher levels of dependence, higher levels of partner learning, and higher levels of performance.     

Artificial liars: Why computers will (necessarily) deceive us and each other

In H-C interaction, computer supported cooperation andorganisation, computer mediated commerce, intelligentdata bases, teams of robots. etc. there will bepurposively deceiving computers. In particular, withinthe Agent-based paradigm we will have ``deceivingagents''. Several kinds of deception will be present ininteraction with the user, or among people viacomputer, or among artificial agents not only formalicious reasons (war, commerce, fraud, etc.) butalso for goodwill and in our interest. Social control,trust, and moral aspects in artificial societies willbe the focus of theoretical worm as well as ofimplementation. Is there any special affinity betweenAI and deception?     

Precariousness under the new psychological contract: the effect on trust and the willingness to converse and share knowledge

This paper argues that the traditional employment relationship based on long-term commitment and reciprocity has been replaced by one which incorporates a high level of precariousness and that individuals form perceptions of the trust they have in the organisation based on their view of the psychological contract. This paper develops a model of these perceptions and develops six propositions about an individual's level of trust in the organisation, management and fellow workers and their belief that their expectations will be progressively met and that they will be compensated in the long term for their contribution. These perceptions and the six propositions developed in the paper have profound ramifications for the willingness of individuals to converse and potentially to share their knowledge with others for the benefit of the organisation, because high levels of trust will be needed before individuals will be predisposed to start to converse and exhibit a willingness to share their knowledge.     

The dual concept of consumer value in social media brand community: A trust transfer perspective

Companies are increasingly relying on social media brand communities to interact with consumers and achieve business values. Thus, it is essential to understand how companies can extract value from consumers in social media brand communities. We develop a model clarifying the dual concept of consumer value and illustrating how consumer-perceived value can be transformed into consumer-generated value from a trust transfer perspective. Specifically, we identify three types of consumer-perceived value: utilitarian, hedonic, and social. We capture consumer-generated value in terms of purchase intention and social media word of mouth. Using a two-wave survey, our results strongly support the research model. Specifically, the three types of consumer-perceived values positively affect consumer trust in social media brand communities, which in turn leads to trust in brand and in social media and, thereafter, consumers’ subsequent social media word of mouth and purchase intentions. Our study makes several contributions to the strategic information systems literature concerning leveraging social media brand communities into business strategies. Theoretically, our study expands the understanding of the dual concept of consumer value in social media brand communities through the trust transfer theory. Practically, our study delivers insights for companies into how social media brand communities can be used as a strategic tool for achieving business values.     

From ambivalence to trust: Using blockchain in customer loyalty programs

Global initiatives on climate protection and national sustainability policies are accelerating the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. Many electricity suppliers are engaged in efforts to monetize this transition with ‘green’ services and products, such as Green Electricity Tariffs. These promise customers that their supply includes a specific share of green electricity, yet since electricity suppliers often fail to deliver on those promises, many customers have lost trust in their suppliers. Further information asymmetries may not only exacerbate this loss of trust, but also spark distrust and lead to an overall feeling of ambivalence. Eventually, ambivalent customers may feel inclined to switch suppliers. To prevent this domino effect, electricity suppliers must eliminate ambivalence by increasing customer trust and reducing customer distrust. Here, we discuss how these challenges can be met with a customer loyalty program built on blockchain technology. We developed the program following a Design Science Research approach that facilitated refinement in four iteration and evaluation cycles. Our results indicate that the developed customer loyalty program restores trust, reduces distrust, and resolves customer ambivalence by providing four features: improved customer agency, sufficient and verifiable information, appropriate levels of usability, and unobstructed data access.     

不确定环境下组织间信任与合作创新绩效研究

管理者如何在不确定环境下管理好组织间信任模式,继而提升企业合作创新绩效成为企业面临的现实问题。本文基于战略决策视角分析不确定环境下组织间信任对合作创新绩效的影响机制。研究结果显示,组织间计算信任与关系信任对企业间合作创新绩效的影响具有差异性,具体表现为组织间计算信任能显著提升企业间合作创新绩效,组织间关系信任与企业间合作创新绩效间呈倒U型非线性关系,且关系信任的合作创新激励效应强于计算信任。进一步,市场不确定正向调节关系信任与合作创新关系,负向调节计算信任与合作创新关系。行为不确定负向调节关系信任与合作创新关系,正向调节计算信任与合作创新关系。本文丰富了供应链网络下组织间信任与企业创新发展相关理论研究,为企业在不确定环境下管理合作信任模式提供借鉴与指导。     

领导风格与员工建言：基于双向信任的视角

本研究旨在探讨交易/变革型领导对员工建言的促进作用,并根据社会交换理论,分析在不同的上下级双向信任情境下这种作用的有效性。基于东北三省6家企业366份上下级匹配调查问卷数据,采用层次回归分析法的实证结果表明：交易型和变革型领导均正向促进员工建言,且后者的作用更强;员工信任正向调节交易/变革型领导与员工建言的关系;员工信任和被信任感的交互正向调节交易/变革型领导与员工建言的关系,双向信任均高时,交易/变革型领导对员工建言的促进作用最强;双向信任缺失时,促进作用最弱;双向信任不均衡时,相比于高信任、低被信任感,在低信任、高被信任感的情境下,交易/变革型领导对员工建言的促进作用更强。     

群体资源对个体知识共享的跨层次影响：心理资本的视角

群体心理资本作为一种重要的战略资源对个体知识共享产生积极影响,但至今鲜有研究对两者关系进行分析。整合工作要求-资源模型、社会交换理论,本研究构建了群体心理资本影响个体知识共享的跨层次模型,探讨了群体信任在两者关系间的不同行为效应,并通过多层线性分析等方法对问卷调查收集的数据进行实证分析。研究结果表明：(1)群体心理资本对个体工作参与、个体知识共享具有显著的正向预测效果;(2)群体心理资本对群体信任具有显著的正向预测效果,且群体信任在群体心理资本与个体工作参与关系之间起到中介作用;(3)群体信任跨层次正向调节个体工作参与与个体知识共享之间的关系。     

Effect of penitence on social media trust and privacy concerns: The case of Facebook

Abuse of information entrusted to organizations can result in a variety of privacy violations and trust concerns for consumers. In the event of violations, a social media brand or organization renders an apology – a form of social account – to alleviate users’ concerns and maintain user membership and engagement with the platform. To explore the link between apology offered by a social media brand or organization and the users’ trust dynamics in the brand’s services, we study how organizational integrity can contribute to reducing individuals’ privacy concerns whiles increasing or repairing their trust. Drawing on organizational behavioral integrity literature, our proposed research model suggests that the persuasiveness of an apology following a data breach affects users’ trust or spillover trust through their perceptions of the degree of alignment between the words in the apology and the actions of the violating entity. Based on a survey of Facebook users, our findings show that persuasiveness of an apology has a significant impact on users’ perceptions of the alignment between the social media brand’s (i.e. Facebook) words and subsequent actions. These perceptions impact social media brand trust (i.e. users’ trust in Facebook and allied services such as Instagram). We also find that, post data breach incidence, while integrity of the social media organization partially mediates the relationship between persuasive apology and users’ trust, it fully mediates the relationship between the persuasive apology and the privacy concerns expressed by the users. However, users’ privacy concerns do not contribute much to the repair of trust needed to maintain their membership.